Deira was a kingdom in Northern England during the 6th century AD. It extended from the Humber to the Tees, and from the sea to the western edge of the Vale of York. It later merged with the kingdom of Bernicia to the north to form the kingdom of Northumbria.
The name of the kingdom is of Brythonic origin, perhaps from Deifr, meaning "waters", or from Daru, meaning "oak", in which case it would mean "the people of the Derwent", a derivation also found in the Latin name for Malton, Derventio.[1]
According to Simeon of Durham it extended from the Humber to the Tyne, but the land was waste north of the Tees. After the Kingdom of Ebrauc was annexed by Edwin, York (Ebrauc) became its capital. Before this it is likely that the capital would have been at or near Pocklington.
The first Anglian king of whom we have any record is Ælla, who flourished in the later 6th century after conquering the realm from the Britons in 581. After his death, Deira was subject to king Æthelfrith of Bernicia, who united the two kingdoms into Northumbria. Æthelfrith ruled until the accession of Ælla's son Edwin, in 616 or 617, who also ruled both kingdoms until 633.
Osric, the nephew of Edwin, ruled Deira after Edwin, but his son Oswine was put to death by Oswiu in 651. For a few years subsequently Deira was governed by Æthelwald son of Oswald of Bernicia.
Bede wrote of Deira in his Historia Ecclesiastica.
Kings of Deira
| Reign | Incumbent | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 559/560 to 589 | Aella (Aelli) |
ÆLLA YFFING DEIRA CYNING ÆLLA REX DEIRA |
|
| 589/599 to 604 | Aethelric (Aedilric) |
ÆÞELRIC IDING BERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING ÆÞELRIC REX BERNICIA ET DEIRA |
|
| Bernician Dynasty | |||
| 593/604? to 616 | Aethelfrith | ÆÞELFERÞ ÆÞELRICING DEIRA CYNING ÆÞELFERÞ REX DEIRA |
Killed in battle |
| Deira Dynasty | |||
| 616 to 12/14 October 632 | Edwin | EDVVIN ÆLLING BERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING EDVVIN REX BERNICIA ET DEIRA |
Killed in battle by Cadwallon of Gwynedd and Penda of Mercia |
| late 633 to summer 634 | Osric | OSRIC ÆLFRICING DEIRA CYNING OSRIC REX DEIRA |
|
| 633 to 5 August 642 | Oswald | OSVVALD BERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING OSVVALD REX BERNICIA ET DEIRA |
Killed by Penda, King of Mercia; Saint Oswald |
| 642 to 644 | Oswiu | OSVVIO ÆÞELFRIÞING BERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING OSVVIO REX BERNICIA ET DEIRA |
|
| 644 to 651 | Oswine | OSVVINE OSRICING DEIRA CYNING OSVVINE REX DEIRA |
Murdered |
| summer 651 to late 654 or 655 | Æthelwold | ÆÞELVVALD OSVVALDING DEIRA CYNING ÆÞELVVALD REX DEIRA |
|
| 654 to 15 August 670 | Oswiu | OSVVIO ÆÞELFERÞING NORÞANHYMBRA CYNING OSVVIO REX NORÞANHYMBRA |
Restored |
| 656 to 664 | Alchfrith | ALCHFRIÞ DEIRA CYNING ALCHFRIÞ REX DEIRA |
|
| 670 to 679 | Aelfwine | ÆLFVVINE DEIRA CYNING ÆLFVVINE REX DEIRA |
|
References
Notes
- ^ N. J. Higham, The Kingdom of Northumbria AD 350-1100, p. 81
- ^ Mackenzie, E.; Ross, M. (1834), An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County Palatine of Durham, vol. I, Newcastle upon Tyne: Mackenzie and Dent, p. xi, retrieved 2008-07-23
Further reading
- Geake, Helen & Joanthan Kenny (eds.) (2000). Early Deira: Archaeological studies of the East Riding in the fourth to ninth centuries AD. Oxford: Oxbow. ISBN 1-9001-8890-2
- Higham, N.J. (1993). The Kingdom of Northumbria AD 350-1100. Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 0-8629-9730-5